Supervised Access Computer Network Router

• US 20100325259A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Volonics Corporation
• Inventors: Schuler, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16

Abstract

A system for monitoring and regulating computer usage on a local network is disclosed. Computers on a network are configured with a client activity monitoring module that collects activity information including screen captures, keyboard activity, and/or information relating to network communications and sends the collected activity information to a network activity monitor for storage and later retrieval. Each computer on the local network periodically verifies that its client activity monitor module is operable. If a computer fails to send such verification, the system restricts network access by that computer, thus enforcing compliance with the activity monitoring system. The system further provides means for automatically displaying the collected activity information, including through screen savers, automatically changing desktop background images, and pop-up or sidebar windows. The system thus enables review of computer activities for appropriateness by both supervisors or parents as well as by peer users without requiring the reviewer to take affirmative steps to retrieve the activity information.

Claims

1. ) A network management system connected to a client computer via a first network, said client computer having an associated client activity monitor, said network management system comprising:

(a) a router-switch connected to said first network and to a second network;

(b) a network server comprising a means for communication to said router-switch and computer hardware platform having a processor and a computer-readable storage medium;

(c) a status monitor which receives status messages from each of said client activity monitors; and

(d) a network activity monitor which receives activity information from said client activity monitor and stores said activity information for subsequent retrieval;

said network server causing said router-switch to restrict said client computer'"'"'s access to said second network as a function of status messages received by said network server from said client computer.

2. ) The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information received and stored by said network activity monitor.

3. ) A network management system connected to a client computer via a network, said client computer having an associated client activity monitor, said network management system comprising:

(a) a network server comprising a computer hardware platform having a processor and a computer-readable storage medium;

(b) a network activity monitor which receives and stores activity information from each of said client activity monitors; and

(c) a display module operable to automatically display said activity information stored by said network activity monitor.

4. ) A network management system as in claim 3 further comprising a status monitor which receives status messages from each of said client activity monitors.

5. ) The network management system of claim 3 wherein said first network is a wireless computer network in a residential environment and said activity information is captured screen images from computers connected to said first network.

6. ) An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having instructions encoded thereon for enabling a processor to perform the operations of:

(a) capturing client activity information relating to one or more computer terminals;

(b) storing said client activity information;

(c) retrieving said client activity information; and

(d) automatically displaying said information on a display means.

7. ) The article of manufacture of claim 6 further comprising the additional operations of:

(e) determining whether a computer connected to a network is capturing screen images; and

(f) restricting said computer'"'"'s access to a second network as a function of whether said computer is capturing screen images.

8. ) The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein said client activity information is captured screen images from a computer display.

9. ) The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein said client activity information is information relating to key presses on a keyboard.

10. ) The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein said client activity information is information relating to network traffic to or from a computer.

11. ) The article of manufacture of claim 6 wherein said display means is a screen saver operating on a computer display.